Police Blotter – March 15, 2013

[Reprinted from The Richmond Police Station Newsletter of March 15, 2013. To be added to the station’s mailing list, email sfpd.richmond.station@sfgov.org.]

CAPTAIN SHARON FERRIGNO’S MESSAGE
San Francisco Police Officers made a great arrest of a carjacking suspect early this morning. During the incident, officers pursued the man who drove through our district in a stolen cab. The man drove down the dead end at Spruce and Pacific Ave; he turned around and then drove at the officers, who fearing for their safety fired shots at the man to stop him. Thankfully, only the patrol car was damaged after the suspect hit it. The cab was located and the suspect was taken into custody. We truly appreciate the calls and emails asking about the well being of our officers. I am happy to report that the officers are okay.

The City will be full of wonderful family events, including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the family celebration afterwards at Civic Center. Please have a safe weekend.

Our next Community meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 6pm. It will be in the Community Room, here at Richmond Station, 461 6th Ave. (NOTE TIME CHANGE)

NOTEWORTHY ARRESTS
On 03/08/13 at 9:15pm, the victim was walking south on 26th Ave, from Geary with her phone in her hand, texting. She was suddenly approached by the suspect who punched her in the face and took her phone. The victim gave chase but lost sight of her at 24th and Anza Sts. The victim went to a nearby business to call her brother to come pick her up and they went in search of the suspect. The victim saw the suspect getting on a bus at 20th Ave and Geary and boarded the bus and confronted the suspect. She repeatedly asked for her phone back and blocked the rear exit door so the suspect would not get off prior to the police arriving. The suspect pepper sprayed the victim and attempted to exit the coach. The victim, through burning eyes, held onto the suspect’s jacket and tried to pull her back on the bus. The suspect then fell off the back steps and onto the sidewalk. Officers arrived on scene and detained the suspect and recovered the victim’s phone. The 20 year old victim was treated by medics on scene. The suspect, a 19 year old female was charged with robbery, assault with a caustic chemical and possession of stolen property.

On 03/10/13 at 12am, officers were patrolling the area of Turk and Arguello when the observed a male, holding a bicycle, in the bus shelter. The officers made contact with the male who they recognized from prior contacts and knew he was on probation for narcotic violations. Upon conducting a probation search the officers located a glass pipe which contained methamphetamine. In the suspects backpack they located pliers, a hacksaw, a pipe cutter, bolt cutters and a broken bike lock. They also found a cell phone which the suspect said was given to him by a friend. Upon examining the phone, officers were able locate a name of the legal owner of the phone and saw that she had made an on-line police report regarding the theft of her phone. Officers called the woman and she stated she had left her phone at a store at 32nd Ave and Clement. She had contacted the store and they told her that they had it there. When she went to pick it up, she was told that an unknown white male had picked up her phone already. The officers checked to see if the bicycle was reported stolen, but showed no results for the serial number. The 51 year old male was charged with possession of burglar tools, and probation and narcotic violations.

On 03/11/13 at 5pm, plainclothes officers were traveling eastbound on Geary at 3rd Ave. A white Pontiac pulled alongside of the officers to their right, and a gold Acura pulled along the right of the Pontiac. The officers saw that the license plate of the Pontiac was covered and the vehicle had a modified exhaust system. The driver of the Pontiac was conversing with the occupants of the Acura and they appeared to know each other. The two vehicles pulled over on the 3500 block of Geary Bl. The occupants of the Acura exited and walked to the passenger side of the Pontiac and opened the door and continued to speak with the driver. The officers could see items shuffled back and forth between the three males. As the officers approached the vehicle, they could smell marijuana emanating from inside. The officers asked the driver of the Pontiac for his license, however it was suspended. The drivers of both vehicles are on probation and a search of the vehicles was conducted. In the Pontiac, they located numerous pieces of camera equipment and in the Acura, a laptop. Also in the Acura the officers located a bag lined with a homemade foil liner. These bags are used to defeat loss prevention security sensors inside retail stores. In the trunk of the Pontiac they located numerous items of clothing still with the security tags on them, but no store identification. Officers were able locate a phone number in the camera bag and left a message. A short time later the officers received a return call and were told that the laptop and camera had been taken within the last hour from an auto burglary near 47th and Fulton. The three males, two 24yr olds and one 26 year old, where charged with probation and narcotic violations, possession of stolen property and possession of burglar tools.

On 03/11/13 at 10:07pm, officers were patrolling the area of Walnut and Clay when the observed the suspect staggering down the sidewalk. The officers stopped to check on his well being and determined that he was intoxicated. When asked for identification, he provided a name and date of birth. The officers located a wallet in his possession with an out of state ID with that name and date of birth, but the photo was not of him. He finally gave the officers his true name and they saw that he had a long criminal history for burglary, robbery and narcotic violations. He was also currently wanted on a parole violation warrant. He was found to be in possession of shaved key and a window punch. The 37 year old male was charged with the parole warrant and possession of burglar tools.

On 03/14/13 at 8:24pm, officers responded to a call of an alarm at a home on the 300 block of Sea Cliff. When officers arrived one officer went to the front, the other towards the rear of the home. The officer at the front noticed a guitar case outside the front door and as he looked through the window he saw a male inside. The officer knocked on the glass and the male inside wouldn’t open the door but insisted he was the owner, even though he did not know the address, or the code to reset the alarm. The officer was able to persuade the male to open the door and detained him. Officers continued to search the home and found that a rear window had been removed from its frame. The owner of the home responded and confirmed that the guitar was his, as well as a ring they found in the suspect’s pocket. The 23yr old male was charged with burglary and possession of stolen property.

NOTEWORTHY INCIDENTS
Between 03/09/13, 12pm and 03/13/13, 8am on the 700 block of Cabrillo, a suspect entered a garage by removing the lock from a rear door. The suspect took a bike.

On 03/09/13 at 8:30pm, the victim was sitting in a bus shelter at Geary Bl and 33rd Ave, texting on her phone. Another female was sitting next to her, also texting on her phone. One suspect entered the bus shelter and sat next to the victim, while the other leaned on the glass outside. The first suspect said to the second, “They’re both the same” referring to the phones. With that the first suspect grabbed the phone from the victims hand and both ran eastbound on Geary. The suspects were described as black males, 20yrs, one wearing a red sweater and a black beanie, the other a gray jacket.

Between 03/10/13, 10am and 03/11/13, 5:45am, on the 2100 block of Clement, a suspect gained entry into a business by smashing out the glass on the front door. The suspect took cash from the register.

On 03/12/13 a manager of an apartment building noticed that the lock and handle that leads from the lobby to the garage was damaged and not functioning. He replaced the door handles. On 03/13/13, he saw that the new lock and handle were now damaged. He then reviewed surveillance video and saw that on 03/12/13 at 5am, a suspect entered the main door into the apartment building using some type of key. The suspect then used various tools to forcibly open the door to the garage and made entry. There appears to be no loss. On 03/13/13 at 1:30am, the suspect returned with another male, again using some type of key to get in the front door. The suspect again used tools to try to get into the garage, but this time was unsuccessful. The first suspect was a white male, 25-30 yrs, wearing a cream colored jacket and carrying a light colored messenger bag. The second suspect was Hispanic, 25-30yrs, wearing a light colored hat, light colored sweatshirt and dark pants.

On 03/14/13 at 6:20am, officers responded to the 6000 block of Geary on a report of a business that had the glass on its front door smashed out. The officers conducted a walk-thru but there was no one inside. The owner arrived and said that cash was missing from the register. The video was reviewed and the suspect could be seen at 5:30am using a brick to smash the glass. The suspect entered and removed the cash and left. He was described as a male wearing a light colored hooded sweatshirt, pulled tight around his face and light colored jeans.